Water pistol



July 1', 1947.

J. W. ARPIN WATER PISTOL Filed Feb. 21, 1947 2 Sheets-Sheet l FIGJ-ATTORNEY.

July 1, 1947. J. w. ARPI'N 'WATER PISTOL Filed Feb. 21, 1947 2Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

ATTORNEY.

Patented July 1, 1947 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE WATER PISTOL JohnWilliam Arpin, Verona, N. J. Application February 21, 1947, Serial No.730,121

5 Claims. 1

This invention relates broadly to a toy pistol for ejecting water, ofthe type generally referred to as a water pistol.

C-ne of the objects of this invention is to provide a multi-shot waterpistol having a marked simplicity of operation and assembly in thatparts heretofore thought necessary in the construction of such pistolsare eliminated. Allied with this object is the provision of a valve inconnection with a water pistol which operates through water pressurerather than spring pressure so that no springs operating in water arerequired and the pistol has therefore a longer life and more positiveaction.

Another object of this invention is to provide a water pistol having atrigger wherein the trigger operates a piston and valve through apacking in the housing of the device and wherein the packing, piston andvalve are assembled as a subunit so as to facilitate construction of thdevice. There is further provided an external springact ing upon thetrigger so as to maintain it in a normally outward position, the springalso serv ing to maintain tension on the packing so as to insure againstleaking of the Water therethrough.

Other objects of my invention will be apparent from the followingdescription, it being understood that the above general statements ofthe objects of my invention are intended to describe and not limit it inany manner.

Referring to the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a longitudinal section of a water pistol embodying the instantinvention.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary View illustrating the filling actionof the cylinder.

Fig. 3 is a view similarto Fig. 2 and illustrating the discharge actionof the cylinder.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary view illustrating the filling action of amodified cylinder.

Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 4 and illustrating the discharge actionof the modified cylinder.

The pistol is of generally conventional design and includes a body I!)which may be made of plastic, metal or any other suitable material. BodyI is hollow so as to define a chamber H which serves as a reservoir forthe water which is to b discharged. The butt of the pistol is providedwith a threaded filler cap l2 having an air inlet opening 13 formedtherein. Accordingly, the chamber ll may be filled with the water 14 byunscrewing the cap [2 and pouring or otherwise applying the waterthrough the opening inthe butt of the pistol.

Within the handle of the pistol is formed a cylinder l6 which may beround in cross-section,

Communicating with cylinder 15 is a conduit I9 through which the waterstreams under pressure within the cylinder. The water is then dischargedin a forceful stream through the nozzle 26,

The cylinder 46 is operative to prepare a charge of water for dischargethrough the conduit and to replenish the charge after the water has beenejected. A perforated plate serves as a piston in applying such pressureto the water charge in cylinder it that it is forced upwardly throughthe conduit l9. Perforated plate 25 is substantially of the samediameter of the cylinder and is fixed in position on the piston rod orshaft 26 as by being forcefitted thereon. Bod 26 has upset portions 2?formed thereon so as to serve as stop or rest means for the plate 25.

A disk sealing member 36 is maintained on rod 25 and has a centralopening whereby it may float freely on the rod. Member 30 is thusarranged to seal the perforations of plate 25 on the firing stroke sothat a piston action is produced as pressure is applied to the watercharge.

In order to permit rod 26 to reciprocate without leaking of the watercontents, a packing is provided for an end wall of cylinder 16. Such apacking may comprise the leather washers 3| and 32 maintained betweenplastic plates 33 and 34 which are frictionally maintained within anannular opening 35 leading to the cylinder I6. Manual actuation of therod 26 is accomplished by the trigger 36 which is pivoted at the point31 adjacent the simulated trigger opening 38. .An opening 39 in the bodyI!) permits the required movement of trigger 36 in actuating the rod 26.

Rod 26 is formed with an enlarged inner end Ml which is received in asuitable opening in trigger 36 to effect the required connection andtransmission of movement. A coil spring 4| is maintained around rod 26between the trigger 36 and the packing in order to maintain the triggerin a normally outward position. The spring 4| thus not only serves toreset the trigger and piston after each stroke as hereinafter described,but it further maintains constant pressure on the packin so as toprevent accidental displacement thereof.

The operation of the pistol is as follows:

On the firing stroke, the trigger 36 is pressed inwardly against theaction of spring 4|. Sealing member 30, which is of smaller diameterthan the cylinder and freely movable on the rod, is acted upon by thewater charge so that its forward movement is prevented. 0n the otherhand, the plate 25 is brought forward and the pressure of the water hassubstantially no effect thereon because of its tight fit on the rod andbecause of the upset portions 21. Accordingly, plate 25 meets member 39which effects a closure of the perforations of plate 25. It will beobserved that the perforations are spaced radially outwardly of the disk25 so that they do not register with the central opening of member 39.As illustrated in Fig. 3, the efiect of producing contact between theplate and sealing member is to produce a solid piston or plunger whichoperates against the water charge in cylinder 16 so as to force it underpressure through the conduit or tube [9. At the same time, water fromchamber II is sucked in through the opening 5i] so as to fill the rearpart 5! of cylinder Iii. As the spring is then permitted to return toits normal condition, plate 25 moves rearwardly as illustrated in Fig.2. Accordingly, the water in portion 5! flows through the perforationsof the plate and insures a separation between the plate 25 and sealingmember 3!! by the pressure thereof. Thus, the water flows upwardlyaround the periphery of sealing member 3a and refills the dischargeportion of cylinder It. It is desirable that the combined area of theperforations in plate 25 be greater than that of opening 50 in order todiscourage any tendency for the water to flow back through opening 55instead of to the discharge portion of cylinder l6. It is alsodesirable, although not necessary, to form the end l9a of conduit I9 ofsmaller diameter than the remainder of the conduit in order to produce acapillary attraction which will maintain the water in the conduitinstead of permitting it to fiow out after discharge of the water incylinder l6.

Inasmuch as the water will fill the cylinder i 6 each time that thespring il resets the trigger 35 to its outward or non-operatingposition, a new charge will be prepared after each operation of thetrigger. Accordingly, the water can be ejected in single shots until thesupply thereof is exhausted. The plate 25 and sealing member may befabricated of either metal or plastic material, as desired. Theperforations of plate 25 may be arranged in a radial design and anyconvenient number of perforations, such as from 4 to 10 or more, isentirely satisfactory.

It will be observed that the trigger 36 being of elongated constructionmay be engaged by three or four fingers of a user so that considerablepressure can be applied when actuating the rod 28. Thus, a firm grip andmore positive operation is produced.

Referring to Figs. 4 and 5, a modified embodiment is enclosed wherein asealing disc 55 of flexible material is employed. The plate 25 andsealing member 55 are both mounted on a reduced portion 56 of rod 51.The centers of the sealing member and plate are maintained adjacent eachother but the nature of the contact between the members determines thefilling or discharging operations in the cylinder. Thus, in the actionillustrated in Fig. 5, the rod 5? is actuated inwardly according to thedescription above so that the plate 25 and sealing member 55 arerendered coplanar by the action of the water charge thereagainst. Itwill be observed that the outer edges of the member55 seal the open areaor perforations of the plate 25. The enlarged rivet head 58 prevents thedisassembly of the components.

On the retraction or filling stroke the outer edges of the flexiblesealing member 55 are caused to be bent outwardly and away from theplate so as to uncover the perforations. According y,

the water flows through the perforations into the front or dischargeportion of the cylinder. Member 25 may be of a thermoplastic syntheticresin material such as one of the vinyl resins, cellulose acetate orequivalent materials. VJhen the plate 25 and member 55 are in sealingcontact, pressure may be applied to the water charge so as to dischargeit forcefully and when member 55 is bent away from the plate so as tomove out of such sealing contact, refilling occurs.

While there has been described what at present are considered preferredembodiments of the invention, it will be evident that many changes andmodifications may be made therein without departing from its spirit. Itis therefore aimed in the appended claims to cover all such changes andmodifications which fall within the true spirit and scope of theinvention.

I claim:

1. A water ejecting toy pistol comprising a body having a water chamberformed therein, a cylinder for receiving charges from said waterchamber, a manually operated piston for applying pressure to a charge insaid cylinder, a conduit communicating with said cylinder whereby thecharge under pressure is forced through said conduit and forciblyejected from the body, and valve means embodied in said piston forre-charging said cylinder after ejection of Water therefrom, saidconduit being restricted whereby to retain water therein duringre-charging of said cylinder, an elongated trigger pivoted at one end tosaid body and operatively connected adjacent its other end to saidpiston, and a spring separating the piston connected end of said triggerfrom said cylinder to maintain said trigger in its outwardly pivoted orreset position.

2. The article according to claim 1 and wherein the trigger is pivotedat its said one end externally of said body, said spring beingmaintained likewise externally of said body.

3. A water ejecting toy pistol comprising a body having a Water chamberformed therein, a cylinder for receiving charges from said waterchamber, a manually operated piston for applying pressure to a charge insaid cylinder, a restricted conduit communicating with said cylinderwhereby the charge under pressure is forced through said conduit andforcibly ejected from the body, and valve means embodied in said pistonfor recharging said cylinder after ejection of Water therefrom, saidvalve means comprising a plate in said cylinder having a portion of itsarea perforated so as to permit water from the chamber to traverse saidperforated area and charge the cylinder, a sealing member arranged formovement relative to said plate whereby said plate and sealing membermay contact each other to seal said perforated area or may separate topermit water to fiow therethrough, a trigger operatively connected tosaid piston, said plate and sealin member being arranged in saidcylinder so as to come into mutual contact to produce the piston actionwhen said trigger is pressed and to separate when said trigger isretracted, said cylinder being horizontal and disposed entirely belowsaid water chamber so as to be superimposed by said water chamber andbeing formed with an upwardly disposed water feed opening communicatingwith said water chamber.

4. The article according to claim 3 and wherein said perforated area islarger in extent than said water feed opening so as to offer lessresistance to flow from the feed opening to the cylinder than i offeredin the reverse direction.

5. A water ejecting toy pistol comprising a body having a water chamberformed therein, a cylinder for receiving charges from said waterchamber, a manually operated piston for applying pressure to a charge insaid cylinder, a conduit communicating with said cylinder whereby thecharge under pressure is forced through said conduit and forciblyejected from the body, valve means embodied in said piston forrecharging said cylinder after ejection of water therefrom, a pivotedtrigger operatively connected to said piston, a spring maintainedexternally of said body to maintain said trigger in its outwardlypivoted or reset position, said cylinder being horizontal and disposedentirely below said water chamber so as to be superimposed by said waterchamber and being formed with an upwardly disposed water feed openingcommunicating with said water chamber.

JOHN WILLIAM ARPIN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS

